Filter devices are used in numerous applications in order to purify various fluids from solid and/or liquid contaminants entrained therein. If water is to be separated from a liquid which is different from water, final separator devices are used. This functions primarily when the water is present with the respective other liquid as dispersion. In this case, the water is usually distributed in the other liquid in the form of very small droplets so that the water is present as a disperse phase whilst the other liquid forms a dispersion medium.
Accordingly, a final separator device in the present context is a filter device which is at least suitable for separating water from another liquid.
Very frequently such separator devices are combined with a coalescing filter device. In particular, a final separator through which the fluid can flow, which is suitable for separating water from the respective fluid, can at the same time act as a filter. In particular vehicle applications are of particular interest in this case. For this purpose such a final separator and/or filter device usually comprises a filter element through which the respective fluid can flow and thereby filters the fluid or separates from contaminants, dirt particles and the like and at the same time optionally brings about a separation from water. Such a filter element can be used for purifying a liquid, in particular from oil or fuel. The final separator here comprises a filter body through which the respective fluid can flow which, as a result of its structural formation or physical and/or chemical properties allows the separation of water from the fluid and in particular the filtering of the fluid. The filter body can be formed from at least one filter material through which flow can take place or at least one such filter material which in particular has said structural, physical and/or chemical properties. In addition, it is fundamentally conceivable to provide the filter body or the filter material with pores or select a filter body having pores, in order to thereby enable a flow of fluid through the filter body and thereby separate water and optionally screen or filter contaminants or dirt particles from the fluid.